Photo of star HD148937 in the center of the Dragon's Egg Nebula - Photo: Charles Pevsner
For the past 17 years, the Royal Greenwich Observatory (UK) and astronomical camera manufacturer ZWO have organized a special playground for night sky lovers: the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. This is a global competition, honoring the majestic and diverse beauty of the universe through the lens of photography.
The 2025 competition attracted more than 5,880 entries from 69 countries, competing in a variety of categories. The best entry will receive a grand prize of £10,000 (about $13,560), while each category winner will receive £1,500 (over $2,000).
“For ZWO, astrophotography is not only a way to capture the beauty of the universe, but also a way to inspire, ignite a passion for learning, and connect communities across borders,” said Sam Wen, founder of ZWO, in a press release announcing this year’s finalists.
Among thousands of excellent works, images such as the stunning "blood moon" behind Shanghai skyscrapers, a close-up of a comet tail flying across the sky and many other wonders were selected as finalists.
The awards ceremony will take place online on September 11 and the 100 most representative works will be publicly exhibited at the National Maritime Museum in London.
Blood moon rises behind skyscrapers in Shanghai - Photo: Tianyao Yang (China)
The photo of the crimson moon rising next to the iconic skyscrapers in Lujiazui, the financial center of Shanghai, was taken by Chinese photographer Tianyao Yang from a distance of 26.5 km, in a single exposure.
This rare moment is the result of five years of meticulous preparation and precise timing and placement. The "Blood Moon" stands out against the glowing horizon, creating a scene that is both spectacular and surreal, as if taking viewers into a world between dream and reality.
"Gateway to the Galaxy" - Photo: Yujie Zhang (China)
"Gateway to the Galaxy" by Yujie Zhang (China). Under the calm night sky, jet-black geometric structures rise from the calm water, like metaphysical gateways leading to the universe. Above, the brilliant Milky Way stretches like a river of light, shimmering with millions of stars.
The perfect reflection of the structure on the water creates a magical effect, where reality and illusion intersect. The photo is an invitation to step beyond the everyday world, into a space where imagination and the desire to reach the sky have no limits.
"Comet over Waikiki" - Photo Ran ShenHonolulu (USA)
This photo was taken in October 2024, at Pu'u O Kaimukī Park, Ran Shen, capturing the moment comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) streaked across the night sky of Honolulu.
Together with local residents and astrophotographers, he witnessed one of the most anticipated phenomena of the year: the faint light of a comet standing out against the tropical sky, bringing with it a mysterious beauty and a rare sense of sacredness when nature touches the mortal eye.
"Lonely Tree Under the Stars" - Photo: Benjamin Barakat (Yemen)
On a March night in 2024, Benjamin Barakat used his Sony Alpha 7 IV camera to capture a poetic moment: a lone tree standing tall in the deserted land of Hidaybu district, Yemen. Above, star trails stretched like silent lines of time across the still night sky.
The contrast between the smallness of the tree and the greatness of the universe creates a scene that is both lonely and majestic, reminiscent of the fragile yet resilient existence of life under the endless sky.
"Portrait of the Solar System" - Photo: Sophie Paulin (Germany)
This mesmerizing work, titled “Solar System Portrait,” was captured by German photographer Sophie Paulin. Sophie Paulin skillfully depicts all the planets in the Solar System in a straight line, except for Earth, as a visual symphony of science and art. Each planet appears with its own color and uniqueness.
The photo is not only a work of astrophotography but also an "emotional map", making viewers feel the diversity and wonder of the vast universe.
The moon hangs over the mountain top - Photo: Fabian Dalpiaz (Italy)
At the Pietralba Shrine in South Tyrol, Italy, photographer Fabian Dalpiaz captured the stunning moment as the Moon rose behind the rugged Dolomites.
Not a cloud in the sky, the clear sky and the golden sunset covering the mountain slopes, creating a picture of harmony between earth and sky, between light and darkness, between nature and eternal magnificence.
The Magic of the Milky Way - Photo: Yoshiki Abe (Japan)
From a remote coastal cave in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, photographer Yoshiki Abe captured this magnificent image of the Milky Way on the night of October 12, 2024.
The moment begins during the “blue hour,” the brief period after sunset when the sky and landscape are bathed in a hazy blue. Taking advantage of this unique light, Abe combines the foreground of the cave with the vast starry sky beyond, creating a work that both evokes the stillness of the earth and the infinity of the universe.
Another beauty of the Milky Way - Photo: Jim Hildreth (USA)
In the quiet of the Utah desert, astrophotographer Jim Hildreth created a panoramic masterpiece with a resolution of up to 23,000 pixels.
The work captures the image of the Milky Way rising high in the night sky, standing out among the sea of sparkling stars that spread across the sky. The arid and lonely space of the desert becomes the perfect stage for the overwhelming beauty of the universe.
Close-up of comet C/2023 A3's tail as it passes through the Solar System - Photo: Gerald Rhemann & Michael Jäger
A special visitor surprised astronomers last fall: Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) made its closest approach to the Sun in September, then skimmed past Earth on its way out of the Solar System.
Skywatchers around the world tried to capture the spectacular moment. Astrophotographers Gerald Rhemann and Michael Jäger traveled to Namibia to capture the colorful image on September 30, which shows the comet's two tails: a white dust tail and a blue ion tail.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ngam-vu-tru-ky-vi-qua-cuoc-thi-nhiep-anh-thien-van-2025-20250720231246997.htm
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